The New Mexico Tourism Department revealed the 2017 New Mexico travel and tourism numbers during an announcement ceremony at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Governor Susana Martinez and Tourism Secretary Rebecca Latham reported an increase in visitation and job creation for the 6th consecutive year. Here are the highlights from the 2017 numbers: New Mexico saw 35.4 million … Read More
2017 Legislative Session Report
The Special Session, which convened May 24 and concluded May 30, was called to order to approve the state budget for FY2018. House Bill 1 was drafted, introduced, voted by the Legislature and approved by Governor Susana Martinez. New Mexico Hospitality Association had several meetings with legislative council to support the Tourism Department’s budget request. We are pleased to report … Read More
Five Tips for Creating a Compelling Webinar That Everyone Wants to See
by Matthew Mora Webinars have been a reliable tool for online learning, but they are not always developed and distributed with the proper strategy. It can be difficult to find qualified individuals with the necessary knowledge in producing a quality webinar. Not everyone has extensive experience in video and audio production. Fortunately, it is not too late to gain the … Read More
How to Deal With Negative Reviews on Social Media
by Matthew Mora We’ve all had the angry customer, the unhappy individual or group that has shown unhappiness for your service or product, and chooses to express this unhappiness over the internet. More specifically on social media pages, yelp, or on your google business review. In the cyber realm, it feels as if you can’t do anything about these negative … Read More
Tips for Highlighting Your Hotel’s Culinary Experience
Written by Matthew Mora There are so many aspects that make a hotel culinary experience amazing for guests. Some aspects are incredibly obvious, and there are not so obvious aspects for highlighting your hotel’s dining experience. Here are a few not-so-obvious tips for communicating the unique aspects of your restaurant. These tips go beyond just the quality or the wait-staff, … Read More
Gubernatorial Candidates and 2019 Legislative Session
Gubernatorial Candidates & 2019 Legislative Session Even though the dust has just settled with the 2018 Legislative Session, NM Hospitality Association’s government affairs committee met this week to begin our plans for this year. Having a strategic approach to interim session will provide an excellent opportunity for NM Hospitality Association to be preemptive of several undesirable pieces of legislation and … Read More
2018 New Mexico Tourism Hall of Fame Nominations
The New Mexico Tourism Hall of Fame is one of the greatest honors bestowed upon New Mexico hospitality and tourism professionals. The New Mexico Tourism Hall of Fame celebrates the lifelong achievement of professionals in our industry and the contributions they have made to support and strengthen New Mexico tourism throughout their career. Nominations for the 2018 inductees to the … Read More
2018 Legislative Session Report
Summary This short 30-day, financially-focused session was about as busy as expected given the current political climate. Though just under 700 bills were introduced, only a fraction actually passed. Though relatively quiet, this session was productive for the tourism and lodging industry because several important measures were passed while no negative pieces of legislation made it to the Governor’s desk. … Read More
Governor Susana Martinez Identifies Tourism for Increased Investment
Governor Martinez released her administration’s budget proposal which calls for a $3.5 million increase for the New Mexico Tourism Department to be used for a significant marketing push in the San Francisco area. “Governor Martinez continues to demonstrate her commitment to growing New Mexico’s economy through her prioritization of the Tourism Department’s marketing budget. Year after year, New Mexico True … Read More
2017 Top Hat Spotlight – Kelly Stewart
2017 Tourism Professional of the Year Finalist Kelly Stewart Marketing Specialist – Los Alamos County What was your first job in the hospitality industry? After I graduated from college with a degree in journalism and international studies, I did a short stint in the hospitality industry, working at several hotels and restaurants on Nantucket Island. While I honed my marketing … Read More